Beckman High School senior Justin Aminian, 18, organized the second annual teacher and community talent show, which raised $2,500 for rare cancers such as multiple myeloma. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

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Media arts teacher Chris Perdue's daughter performs a Guns N' Roses cover with her dad at the second annual teacher and community talent show at Beckman High School. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

Freshman honors English teacher Stephen Hochschild performs some of his original work on guitar at the second annual teacher and community talent show at Beckman High School. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

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English teacher Stephen Hochschild on guitar, counselor Dwight Schmidt on harmonica and English teacher Lisa Ng on vocals while the three perform “On and On” by Erykah Badu at Beckman High School. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

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Smrf Kids Dance Crew performs during the community portion of the second annual teacher and community talent show, which raised funds to benefit programs for rare cancers, at the Beckman High School Performing Arts Center. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

Beckman High School senior Justin Aminian, 18, organized the second annual teacher and community talent show, which raised $2,500 for rare cancers such as multiple myeloma. , COURTESY OF JUSTIN AMINIAN

By the numbers

teachers, coaches and staff from Beckman High School performed (or sent in videos)

3

community groups performed

$2,500

raised by Justin Aminian's second teacher and community talent show

About 500

people attended the show

1.3 percent

of all new cancer cases are myeloma

22,350

new cases of myeloma in 2013

10,710

estimated deaths from myeloma in 2013

Sources: Justin Aminian, National Cancer Institute

Persuading teachers to perform on stage in front of hundreds of their students is no easy task.

But Beckman High School senior Justin Aminian managed to pull it off, staging a second annual talent show to raise $2,500 for rare cancers such as multiple myeloma.

Aminian’s club M&M’s for Multiple Myeloma started as an effort to sell the eponymous Mars candy to raise funds, after Aminian’s uncle was diagnosed with the incurable plasma-cell cancer five years ago. His work transformed into a schoolwide talent show, highlighting the not-so-obvious talents of staff at Beckman High School.

“The teachers are really amazing,” Aminian said. “It's really cool to see these teachers and staff in a different atmosphere. Kids always think they go home and are just grading papers. The biggest message is that these teachers do other stuff. They have families and talents, and I think that’s what makes it really special.”

A team of counselors performed a Selena song, Athletic Director Lance Neal showed off karate skills, and teachers sent in videos of themselves rock climbing or making pottery. Aminian said one of the highlights was media arts teacher Chris Perdue and his young daughter singing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.

English teachers Stephen Hochschild and Lisa Ng teamed up with counselor Dwight Schmidt for a guitar-harmonica cover of Erykah Badu’s “On & On.”

“I was kind of nervous about singing; I haven’t done that for 20 years,” said Ng, who provided vocals for the performance. “I said, ‘Why not? It's good to take risks in life.’ I wanted to be a good example for my students.”

While Aminian knew most of the teachers in the show and was able to ask them personally to participate, he only happened upon Ng after hearing her sing in a hallway.

“I had never talked to her before,” Aminian said.

For Ng and other teachers, it was hard to say no to Aminian.

“Justin is very, very charming,” Ng said. “He's such a wonderful person from what I can tell ... and he makes you want to get involved.”

Aminian also helped encourage Hochschild, his ninth-grade honors English teacher, to play an original song this year.

“Of course the students are amazing. They're going crazy seeing their teachers do something different,” said Hochschild, who plays guitar. “It's fun for us, too, seeing another side of the people we work with every day.”

Rainn Wilson, a star from the hit TV show “The Office,” filmed a video for the event. The community portion of the show featured Smrf Kids Dance Crew, magician Kevin Viner and San Diego singer-songwriter Jessica Lerner.

Almost 500 people filled Beckman’s performing arts center, Aminian said. Tickets were $5 for students and $10 for adults. Attendees could choose for their money to benefit multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ovarian, esophageal or pancreatic cancer.

“Breast cancer and prostate cancer get really well-publicized, but for other cancers, it usually takes a celebrity like (news anchor) Tom Brokaw ... for people to realize what it is,” Aminian said.

In February, Brokaw announced he had multiple myeloma, which accounts for just 1.3 percent of all new cancer cases, according to the National Cancer Institute. There were an estimated 22,350 new cases of myeloma in 2013, compared to more than 500,000 for prostate and breast cancers combined.

Aminian, who said he has seen his uncle deteriorate from the disease, hopes someone will carry on the talent show after he graduates in a few months. Last year’s inaugural show sold out and raised $2,700.

“As great as the money is, I think my main goal is to bring people together,” Aminian said. “... It was kind of cool to bring people together, not just from Beckman, but people out from the community.”

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